The purpose of this study was to compare the toxicity of two major municipal effluents subjected to different treatment processes: a physico-chemically treated effluent (high-risk effluent) and a biofiltered/ UV-disinfected effluent (low-risk effluent). Juvenile fathead minnows were exposed to increasing concentrations of the high-risk and low-risk effluents in semi-static conditions for 16 weeks at 25 °C. At the end of the exposure period, juveniles were collected for immunocompetence (leukocyte density and phagocytosis), oxidative stress (catalase and superoxide dismutase activity) and DNA damage (COMET assay) assessments. The data revealed that DNA damage was the most sensitive biomarker, with increases at concentrations between 3.5% and 5%, and that the treatment processes had no influence on the intensity of genotoxic effects. A greater increase in oxidative stress enzymes was observed with the high-risk effluent as compared to the low-risk effluent, suggesting that oxidative stress was dependent on the treatment process applied. At the immunocompetence level, a biphasic pattern of response was found in both the high-risk and low-risk effluents. Indeed, in fish exposed to the low-risk effluent, an initial increase in leukocyte density and phagocytosis activity was followed by a subsequent decrease in these effects with increasing concentrations of the effluent. In the high-risk effluent, the initial increase and subsequent drop in leukocyte density occurred at lower concentrations while phagocytosis activity increased only at the highest concentration. In conclusion, the occurrence of DNA damage was not affected by the 2 types of effluents; however, oxidative stress and immunocompetence were more strongly influenced by the high-risk effluent than the low-risk one.
The present report is a synthesis of all studies conducted around the long-term ecological research (LTER) monitoring of introduced salmonid species in the sub Antarctic Kerguelen islands over the 20152020 period, within the SALMEVOL-2 project. The monitoring encompasses the history of eight species, five of which are still present in Kerguelen, the data and collections spanning five decades and tenths of rivers. Based on this monitoring, but also thanks to various field experiments, we have undertaken to study the evolutionary ecology of these species, using the invasive Brown trout as flagship model, under the premise that the Kerguelen situation, where rivers were previously void of any fish species, could be an anticipation lab of the situation developing at the poles due to climate change. Our findings pertain to life history traits such as individual growth, migration between freshwater and marine ecosystems, microbiomes, but also proximal and ultimate mechanisms of adaptation in relation to the local environment. We also begin to investigate how the expanding metapopulation structure, resulting from multiple invasion events, may affect life history traits evolution.
Nanoparticulate carriers, often referred to as nanoparticles (NPs), represent an important pharmacological advance for drug protection and tissue-specific drug delivery. Accessing the central nervous system (CNS), however, is a complex process regulated by mainly three brain barriers. While some leukocyte (i.e., immune cell) subsets are equipped with the adequate molecular machinery to infiltrate the CNS in physiological and/or pathological contexts, the successful delivery of NPs into the CNS remains hindered by the tightness of the brain barriers. Here, we present an overview of the three major brain barriers and the mechanisms allowing leukocytes to migrate across each of them. We subsequently review different immune-inspired and -mediated strategies to deliver NPs into the CNS. Finally, we discuss the prospect of exploiting leukocyte trafficking mechanisms for further progress.
This study was aimed to assess the effect of gamma-irradiation (0 kGy, 5 kGy, and 10 kGy) on the microbial inactivation of selected pathogens (Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia toll O157: H7, and Salmonella typhimurium), nutrient composition (lactose, protein, vitamin C, and fat quality), peptide profile, and antioxidant activities of a liquid formulation and powdered infant formula. Depending on the pathogens, the D-10 values (kGy) were range from 0.28-2.37 and 0.57-6.13 for liquid formulation and powdered samples, respectively. Results also showed that except for L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium, all inoculated pathogens were more sensitive toward irradiation in the liquid formulation. Furthermore, irradiation treatment did not bring any significant alteration in lactose and protein content of both types of samples while antioxidant properties and vitamin C levels were affected when irradiated in liquid formulation. However, irradiated powdered samples showed a significant dose-dependent increment in lipid oxidation up to 10 kGy, which led to detect the greater level of malondialdehyde by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances assay. A dose of 5 kGy favours the release of small molecular protein fraction which can have a positive effect on the nutritional value of the irradiated infant formula.
Lymphoma etiology remains ill-defined, but immune factors seem to play a major role. The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, a non-specific stimulator of the cellular immune response, could influence lymphoma risk. Previous studies addressing this issue showed conflicting results. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the epidemiological evidence. We conducted a systematic search of all relevant articles in PubMed, Embase, Library and Archives Canada, and Cochrane databases, up to November 1st 2018. A total of 11 studies were included. Each study was summarized, methodological quality was assessed by independent evaluators, and a consensus score was generated. Heterogeneity and publication bias were evaluated. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated separately for Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) by either a fixed effect (FE) or a random effect (RE) model depending on heterogeneity. In this meta-analysis, BCG vaccination was not associated with HL (FE summary OR = 1.10; 95 % CI 0.93-1.30), but positively associated with NHL (RE summary OR = 1.20; 95 % CI 1.01-1.43). However, when restricting to higher quality studies, no association was found between BCG vaccination and either HL (RE summary OR = 0.97; 95 % CI 0.67-1.43) or NHL (RE summary OR = 1.15; 95 % CI 0.84-1.59). Overall, our findings do not support that BCG vaccination is associated with lymphoma risk. Yet, lack of statistical power and relatively high heterogeneity among studies prevent us from making definitive conclusions. Future studies investigating this issue are needed, using robust methodology.
